


Legacies and Nightmares

by Maka_Tsubaki



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 13,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21925678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maka_Tsubaki/pseuds/Maka_Tsubaki
Summary: After Ashura's revival, a mysterious new threat faces the Shibusen students. Eager to recover from their string of defeats and suspecting a link to Arachne, Maka and her friends set out alone and without backup to face and take down their new enemy. But to do so, they'll have to face demons far worse than any kishin.
Relationships: Maka Albarn/Soul Eater Evans
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19
Collections: Soul Eater Resonance Bang 2019





	1. Chapter 1

It was a completely normal day at Shibusen. Which, of course, meant that Black*Star was harassing other students. Maka sighed as she walked up the stairs. She hadn’t slept well and was already in no mood to deal with the rambunctious meister. “Black*Star, can’t you give it a rest? Tsubaki has got to be tired of all these duels,” she scolded as she reached the top. She glanced over to see which unfortunate student Black*Star had cornered before continuing. “Really? Val isn’t even here, how do you expect Jordan to fight without his weapon partner?”

Black*Star paused before slumping down. “To be continued later!” he yelled at his unfortunate target before hurrying into the school, not wanting to admit that Maka was right. Jordan turned to her with a grateful look on his face.

“Thanks for that, Maka. I really didn’t want to go head to head with him today, but when Black*Star gets an idea into his head…”

“There’s almost no stopping him.” Maka finished for him with a smile. “It’s no problem. I’m not exactly in the mood to deal with him today, either.” Jordan laughed softly. “Anyways, I’ll see you around.” Maka waved and turned to go inside, not noticing the look on Jordan’s face as she did.

Black*Star avoided Maka’s gaze when she entered the classroom, and she rolled her eyes, sitting down next to Soul. _He’ll get over it by tomorrow,_ she decided, unconsciously nodding her head once. 

Soul perked up at the action. “What’s with the nod?” 

Maka blushed, realizing she’d actually nodded. “Just Black*Star drama. I had to stop him from fighting Jordan outside, and he’s pouting.” 

Soul laughed lightly. “Yeah, that would do it. Why’d you stop the fight?” He turned towards her, resting his cheek in his hand and his elbow on the desk.

“Val wasn’t even there, so Jordan didn’t stand a chance, and I’m too tired to deal with Black*Star drama today.” Maka sighed. 

“Yeah, I noticed you going heavy on the coffee this morning. Stay up studying again?” Soul teased. Maka flushed again and smacked his arm lightly.

“ _No._ I just couldn’t fall asleep.” She glanced away uncomfortably, hoping Soul wouldn’t inquire any further. He opened his mouth, but at that moment Stein entered the room. _Saved by the bell_ , Maka thought to herself.

“Good morning class. Today will be slightly unusual. You won’t be working with your weapon partners; instead we’re going to split into weapons and meisters. I’ll be teaching the meisters, and Spirit will be teaching the weapons. Meisters, come to the left of the classroom, weapons to the right.” Stein ignored the groans coming from the students. The separation meant the class would be purely lecturing with no sparring portion.

“See you after class, I guess.” Maka smiled grimly at Soul. While she was grateful she wouldn’t have to deal with her father, and felt bad that Soul would have to, Stein wasn’t much better. 

Soul gave her a grin. “Yeah, if we survive.” Maka laughed and got up to join the other meisters. Once there, she sought out Kidd, who was already standing with a few of their friends.

“Oh hello, Jordan.” Kidd spoke next to Maka. She turned, and to her surprise, Jordan had joined them. He gave an awkward wave before speaking.

“Hey guys. Mind if I hang out with you for today? Black*Star is still annoyed that Maka stopped him from fighting me this morning, so I figure he won’t want to hang out with you guys today. And I’m still a little afraid he might try to go after me in the middle of the lecture,” he added with a nervous laugh.

Maka turned to Kidd and the others. “You guys mind being a protection force today?” she asked with a smile. Kidd shook his head, and Sarah shrugged. She turned back to Jordan. “I guess that’s a yes. C’mon, let’s go find seats.” They walked off together, slowly accumulating more friends until they reached their seats, Maka not noticing the way Jordan made sure to stay close by her side.

A few minutes later, Maka was groaning and shoving her face into her hands at the antics of Stein and her father as well as her friends. Spirit had spent half of his lecture speaking loudly with pointed glances towards her side of the room, attempting in vain as always to impress her, and eventually Stein had been forced to make his own pointedly loud comment about recollecting to the entire class certain past experiments should his lecture suffer any significant interruptions to make him stop. 

Every time it happened, Sarah had giggled and smiled apologetically, whispering to Maka that she was sure no one had noticed, even though everyone obviously had. Mia and Thomas pretended they didn’t know what was going on, Jordan tried to make her feel better, and Kidd just kept shushing everyone. 

Maka wished they’d just done sparring, like they usually did, since that at least meant she could improve her skills and hang out with Soul. She risked a glance to the other side of the classroom, where her father was demonstrating partial transformations, picking out her partner in seconds. He looked just as bored as she felt, and was staring out the window. Tsubaki was sitting next to him, diligently taking notes, and Maka knew that Soul would just use hers for any tests later on, if he bothered to study at all.

 _I’m glad we don’t get graded as a pair_ , she thought to herself with a smile. While she did sometimes get frustrated with his cavalier attitude towards school, she knew he put energy and effort into learning the things he truly needed to know, and she could count on him when she really needed it. 

Suddenly, Soul turned his head towards Maka, smiling as their eyes met. She smiled back, face brightening. Soul made a “when will this end??” gesture with his hands, exaggerated despair on his face, and Maka couldn’t help giggling a little, at which Soul grinned in victory. She mimed sympathy back to him, mouthing the word “sorry” as well. Soul shrugged in response. He twirled his finger around his ear in the “crazy” gesture, then nodded his head towards Maka’s father. Maka couldn’t hold in her laughter as well as before, and snorted slightly, drawing the attention of her friends.

Maka, who hadn’t noticed her friends watching her yet, mouthed “stop it” with a smirk on her face to Soul, who mouthed back “it’s true though”. Maka rolled her eyes, a slight smile playing across her face. She mouthed back “you’re hopeless” and Soul grinned cockily, causing a blush to rise on Maka’s cheeks that she hoped Soul couldn’t see from this distance.

Her friends, however, could see it clear as day, and Mia nudged her, startling her and distracting her from Soul, who turned back to the window, disappointed that their conversation had been interrupted. Sarah gave her a knowing look, causing the blush to deepen. “What?” Maka whispered.

“Don’t play dumb,” Sarah replied.

“You were completely blind to the rest of the world, girl,” Mia said, picking up Sarah’s sentiment. “It’s _obvious_ you like him.”

“What? No! He’s just my weapon partner, is all. We’re friends,” she protested, shaking her head and waving her hands frantically. Sarah just gave her a look, and Mia sighed. 

“You’re either lying to yourself or lying to us, Maka. You’re totally transparent,” Sarah said. Thomas rolled his eyes next to them.

“Why do girls always obsess over this stuff? Maka, if you actually do like him, do something about it and ask him out. Sarah, Mia, if she says she doesn’t, drop it,” he stated matter-of-factly. 

Sarah rolled _her_ eyes in response. “You don’t get it, Thomas. It’s not that simple, plus girls discuss this sort of thing with their friends. Unlike boys, we’re not emotionally repressed.” 

“Hey, not _all_ guys are clueless!” Jordan shot back. Mia scoffed. 

“You’re one to talk,” she said teasingly, eyes shooting to Maka and back to him, causing a flush to rise in his own cheeks. He mumbled something none of them could hear before piping back up.

“Anyways, it’s not about me. If Maka says she doesn’t like him, then she doesn’t like him,” Jordan said with a hard note in his voice. 

“ _Right_ ,” Maka chimed in, relieved to have an out of the conversation. Sarah opened her mouth to continue when Kidd started having a breakdown because his notes weren’t symmetrical, and the group had to switch focuses to help him calm down. By the time they’d finally managed to break him out of his meltdown, class was almost over and Stein was wrapping up.

“...and that’s why it’s vital for you and your partner to communicate.” Stein finished his lecture, the bell ringing seconds later. Everyone started packing up, and Jordan groaned.

“I always forget how strange Stein’s lectures are,” he complained to Maka. Maka nodded.

“At least he didn’t talk about dissecting anything this time,” she replied with a laugh. Jordan laughed with her.

“True. Maybe things are looking up.”

“One can only hope.”

Jordan shuffled his feet nervously for a second before opening his mouth again. “Hey, Maka, I was wondering–”

“Yo, Maka!” Maka’s head jerked around at the sound of Soul’s voice and she smiled. He nodded his head to the side in a “you ready to go?” gesture.

“Hey, Soul! I’ll be right there.” Maka finished packing up her things and turned to Jordan. “I’ll see you later, Jordan. Glad I could help you out this morning.” She smiled quickly at him before hurrying over to Soul, missing the disappointed look on his face.

“So, did you fare any better with Papa than I did with Stein?” Maka asked when she reached Soul. He let out a wry laugh.

“I doubt it. Old man kept glaring at me and grumbling about me making passes at you.” Maka flushed slightly. “As if anything would ever happen between us,” he said, rolling his eyes. Maka’s face fell, and she laughed to cover it.

“Yeah, we’re just friends and partners.” She smiled, the expression a little strained. “Stein was pretty normal, actually. He didn’t even talk about dissecting anyone. I think. We all got a little distracted towards the end.” 

Soul raised his eyebrows.“Huh. Maybe he’s making progress.” 

“Yeah, that’s what Jordan was saying, too.” 

Soul raised one eyebrow again.“Jordan, huh?” he asked in a strange voice. 

Maka cocked her head in confusion.“Yeah, he was sitting with Kidd, Sarah, Thomas, Mia and I to stay away from Black*Star. Didn’t you see him with us when you called me over?” she asked, wondering where he was going with this.

“I saw him. I just think it’s _interesting_ that you’re spending time together,” Soul prodded once more in a teasing tone.

“What are you talking about?” Maka asked, giving up on trying to figure out what he was saying on her own. Soul threw his head back and laughed at her, causing her to get frustrated. “What? What is it? Don’t make me Maka Chop you!” 

Soul contained his laughter and put his hands up defensively.“Ok, ok, no need for that. It’s just funny that you can’t see that he likes you.” 

Maka’s eyes widened.“Huh? No he doesn’t. We barely ever even talk to each other,” she protested. 

“Awfully defensive there, huh?” Soul wiggled his eyebrows. Maka flushed and shoved him.

“Stop it! He doesn’t like me, I don’t like him, end of story.” She said firmly. Soul shrugged, but dropped the subject. By then they’d reached their apartment, and opened the door to see Blair waiting for them in cat form. 

“Maka! Soul! I missed you two so much. Why do you have to go to school, huh?” Maka rolled her eyes a little, but smiled as Blair rambled on, weaving between their legs. Having a witch-cat as a pet/roommate wasn’t all bad, though she’d never admit it. She reached down and picked Blair up, scratching behind her ears the way she liked. Blair stopped talking and started purring as Maka walked over to the couch and plopped down, cat in her lap.

“So have you dug up your suit yet?” Maka asked. Soul rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and she glared at him. “Soul, the party is _tonight_ , and we have to look nice.”

“It’s just the stupid Shibusen anniversary party. We’ve been to it before,” Soul grumbled. “Besides, wouldn’t you rather go to your study group with Tsubaki and the others?”

“Yeah, but this year is the 800 year anniversary. That’s a big one, so the party is going to be bigger, too. I know you hate parties, but we have to at least show up and dress up.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “Plus, Riley and Chris always make passes at Mia and Sarah and it’s getting old.”

Soul made a surprised noise. “Doesn’t Henry get jealous? I thought he and Mia just started dating.”

“Oh trust me, he does. Usually the study session devolves into arguing. Tsubaki always tries to mediate, but it never works. I think Sarah is gonna try and find a way to kick Riley out without upsetting him or Chris.” 

Soul snorted. “Small chance of that. Chris and Riley have been best friends ever since they got here. If Riley goes, Chris is gone too.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t really mind that. He spends more time drooling over Sarah than he does actually helping us study. Tsubaki is just worried about not offending anyone; you know how she is.” Maka stood up and began walking to her room. “Anyways, I’m gonna start getting ready. You should find your suit now in case I need to iron it.”

“You’re gonna start getting ready _now_? How much time do you need?” Soul wondered. 

Maka smacked his arm as she passed him.“I actually care about how I look, Soul.” 

“Gotta look nice for _Jordan_ , right?” he called after Maka with a smirk, laughing as he dodged a book thrown at his head.

“Drop it!” she griped as she slammed her door. Soul sighed softly, face falling slightly once he was sure she was away from her door.

“Easier said than done…” he muttered to himself before heading to his own room to find his suit as Maka had requested. 

A few hours later, the pair were ready to go and heading out the door. Soon enough they’d reached the mansion and found their friends. Maka and Soul mingled for a while before splitting off, Soul going outside and Maka to the food line. Jordan ended up right behind her, and she greeted him warmly. 

“So, how are you enjoying the party so far?” Jordan asked.

“It’s pretty nice. I mean, I prefer hanging out with Soul and the others at home, but it’s kinda fun to see everyone all dressed up and dancing,” Maka replied, pausing to grab some food and making a slight face as she picked up some sushi.

“Does the sushi smell or something?” Jordan asked, confused.

“No, I just don’t like raw fish. Soul does, though, and if I don’t get him something he won’t eat tonight,” Maka explained with exasperated affection in her voice. Jordan frowned slightly.

“You don’t have to take care of him, though,” he said, somewhat aggressively. Maka frowned. 

“It’s not me taking care of him, it’s me doing something nice for someone I care about,” she said hesitantly. “It’s just being a nice person.” 

Jordan’s eyes widened and he tried to backtrack, but by that point Maka had reached the end of the food table and was walking away. “I have to go bring this to Soul. I’ll see you around.” He hung his head and sighed. 

Maka walked outside to where Soul was, managing to get the food to him without admitting she’d gotten it for him, though her attempt to get him on the dance floor with her ended with her dancing with her father. She wasn’t quite sure why she was so disappointed. 

When she’d finally weaseled her way away from her father, she saw Jordan heading towards her again, and made a beeline to where Tsubaki was talking to Henry and Mia. 

She was almost grateful when Sid burst into the room and the floor disappeared from below them.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, everyone at Shibusen was in a foul mood, especially Maka and her friends. They all felt somewhat responsible for Ashura’s escape, and the chaos that followed.

The countless students and citizens who had disappeared in the panic, now presumed dead, as well as the casualties caused by the witches’ battles outside the academy, weighed especially heavily on Maka and the crew.

Previously, every defeat they’d suffered had resulted in injury, but no deaths. It was hard for the students to come to terms with the fact that people they knew and cared about were simply gone. Maka more than the others blamed herself for not being strong enough to stop the witches, and it took Black*Star a long time to convince her to come out to play basketball with the rest of them.

She’d started to feel a little better, distracted by the impending doom of losing the game and having to spend time with her father, when she spotted Val coming towards them. Maka’s mood plummeted as she saw the puffiness of the weapon’s eyes and the dark circles under them. She froze on the court.

“Hey, Maka, what are you doing??” Black*Star yelled at her, arms in the air, as she let the ball drift away from her mid-dribble. She shook herself slightly and shot back a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, Black*Star. Just give me a minute, I need to talk to Val for a sec.” Maka jogged off the court without waiting for a response. Val looked up as Maka approached and gave a weak smile and a wave.

“Hey, Maka. How are you doing?” she asked softly. Maka slowed to a stop a few feet away.

“Better than you, I’d imagine. How are you holding up?” she asked gently. Jordan had been one of the casualties of the previous night.

“I’m okay, really. Jordan and I were never that close, not like you and Soul. I’m upset that he’s gone, but I can deal. You don’t need to worry about me, really,” Val tried to reassure Maka unsuccessfully.

She frowned. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Val nodded with a smile that was a little more real. “I will. Thank you, Maka.” Maka gave Val a quick hug before going back to her friends.

“How’s Val doing?” Tsubaki asked when Maka got back. Maka shrugged with a sad look on her face. Tsubaki frowned and the mood of the group dampened for a moment before Black*Star threw the ball towards Maka, nearly hitting her in the face before she caught it. She turned towards him angrily to see him grinning.

“Let’s get back to the game already, fearless Captain!” he yelled in his typical over-the-top way. Maka sighed, but smiled slightly, realizing what he was trying to do. She nodded firmly, returning to the game with renewed vigor. Later, when they’d lost and she was forced to approach her father, she’d all but forgotten about her guilt regarding Val and Jordan.

As the days passed and the gang was able to go out and feel like they were doing something about Ashura, their guilt lessened. However, their worry began to increase as they heard more and more about the new threats that were awakening, especially after their battle with Arachne. The madness wavelength Ashura was emitting was affecting the world, and even those at Shibusen were beginning to feel its influence.

As Maka walked into class, listening to the now familiar rumors of new threats arising in the surrounding areas, one conversation in particular caught her attention.

“... did you hear about what happened to Henry and Sarah?”

“No, what happened?”

“They were out on a routine mission to collect a Kishin egg, but when they got back they were babbling messes. Lord Death couldn’t even make sense of what had gone down. They’re in the infirmary now with Marie.”

“That’s awful...I wonder what happened? What were they talking about?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but I heard it was something about spiders, or being trapped.”

 _Arachne_ , Maka thought. She made a beeline for Soul, who greeted her warmly when she sat down.

“Hey, Soul. Have you heard the rumors this morning? About Henry and Sarah?” Maka asked hurriedly. Soul frowned thoughtfully.

“I think so, yeah. They shouldn’t have been out on that mission in the first place. They’d only been back for a few hours before they left.”

Maka felt a pang of sorrow. Mia had been one of the casualties, and Henry had been on a warpath ever since.

“Why, what about it?” Soul asked, interrupting her train of thought.

Maka shook herself out of her thoughts. “I overheard Riley and Thomas talking about it, and Riley said that when Henry and Sarah came back, they were babbling about being trapped, and _spiders_ ,” Maka said urgently. Understanding dawned on Soul’s face.

“You think Arachne did something to them, don’t you?” he whispered. Maka nodded. Soul leaned back heavily. “Alright. Let’s see if we can get ourselves on a mission in the same area. Where was their mission, anyways?”

“Not that far from the academy, actually.”

"Alright, let’s see what's in the area." Soul paused. "Do you think we should tell the others?"

Maka frowned thoughtfully. "Let's wait until we know for sure this is legit. I don't want to get their hopes up if it's nothing."

Soul sighed. "Alright. Let's do this."


	3. Chapter 3

Maka was frustrated. She'd been trying to get a mission close enough to track down Arachne for the past few weeks, but she and Soul never seemed to find anything unusual about the Kishin eggs they collected. _If the next mission doesn't turn anything up, I'll decide it was a fluke_ , she thought to herself, walking into the classroom. Once again, whispers filled the room. More and more students were falling victim to Kishin eggs that had gained power from Ashura's wavelength. The strangest part was that a lot of the students who made it back came back incoherent and terrified.

 _I wonder what it could be that has them all so scared..._ she thought as she sat down beside Soul, greeting him absentmindedly.

“Okay, I know that look,” Soul poked Maka’s arm as he spoke. “You’re still frustrated about the Arachne thing, aren’t you?”

“Aren’t you?” she challenged. “It’s been weeks, and we haven’t found anything!”

“Maybe it was a fluke or something?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Maka said, contradicting her own thoughts from moments earlier. “If it was a fluke, there wouldn’t be so many other students coming back terrified. It’s got to be Arachne. It’s too big to be a coincidence.”

“None of the others talked about spiders though,” Soul pointed out, and Maka deflated slightly.

“Yeah, you’re right...but what if it wasn’t Arachne directly?” Soul frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“What if she wasn’t using her own power? What if she has some sort of new tool?”

“What, like brew or something?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Maka said, her voice rising in pitch and speed as she got more enthusiastic about her idea.

“But how would a tool be controlling so many different Kishin eggs?”

Maka thought for a moment before responding.“Maybe there were never any Kishin eggs to begin with. Maybe she was luring students out to take us down one by one.”

“No, I don’t think Lord Death would be fooled that easily. Plus, why would she target us directly? She never has before.”

“That’s true, I suppose.” Maka sighed heavily. “I don’t know. It has to all be connected somehow. It can’t be a coincidence. I just can’t figure out how it all ties back to her.” She groaned. “I hate not knowing.”

Soul put his hand on her forearm and waited until she was looking at him before speaking. “If anyone can solve this, it’s you. You’re the smartest student at Shibusen.”

Maka blushed heavily and looked down. “Ox might disagree with you there,” she said, deflecting the praise.

“Nah, Ox is just obsessive about tests. He can memorize as many essay questions as he likes, but when it comes down to logic and connecting the dots, he’s hopeless. You’ve got the real brains,” Soul asserted firmly. Maka flushed even more heavily, and flailed for something else to talk about. To her relief, Tsubaki and Black*Star sat down next to them that moment.

“Hey guys. What were you talking about?” Tsubaki asked warmly. Maka and Soul just sat there, panic on their faces. Neither of them could think of a plausible excuse, and as the seconds stretched on, it became more and more obvious that they were hiding something from their friends.

“Okay, spill it. The mighty Black*Star demands to know what you were talking about!” Black*Star jumped on the desk dramatically and Tsubaki had to drag him down.

“Uh…” Maka sputtered, still trying to come up with an excuse.

“Come on, Maka. Why would you want to lie to us?” she asked softly, and at the uncertainty and hurt in her voice, Maka broke.

“We didn’t want to say anything until we were sure, but…” she started. Soul picked up her next words when she couldn’t figure out how to say it.

“We think we may have found a lead on Arachne,” he said softly and quickly. Tsubaki and Black*Star’s eyes widened, and Maka reflexively threw her hand over Black*Star’s mouth to keep him from yelling out.

“Shh!” she hissed. “We don’t want Lord Death or anyone to know.”

“Why not?” Tsubaki wondered, confused.

“Because, if they find out, they’ll send out the adults and we won’t be able to do anything,” Soul explained. “We want to fight.”

“Okay, well, why didn’t you tell us? You can’t think you can take her down on your own!” Tsubaki exclaimed in alarm.

“No, of course not. We just didn’t want to get your hopes up in case it turned out to be nothing. But it’s looking more and more like that isn’t possible, so I guess it was time to spill the beans anyways,” Maka replied, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

“I guess I can understand that. Are you going to tell Riley and Thomas?” Tsubaki asked hesitantly. Like Henry, Riley had been furious since the attack.

“I don’t think so,” Maka said delicately. “Losing Chris did a number on him, and I’m not sure he’s in the right state of mind to go up against Arachne.”

“That’s true. What about Thomas though? Shouldn’t he know? Mia, Jordan and Chris were his friends too.”

“If Thomas knows, Riley knows. The guy can’t keep a secret if it would save his life, especially not from his weapon. It’s just us on this one,” Soul explained.

Tsubaki frowned. “What about Kidd? And Liz and Patty?”

“Wouldn’t Kidd just tell Lord Death?” Maka cocked her head to one side, eyebrows furrowed.

Tsubaki shook her head. “Kidd and Lord Death haven’t been talking as much as they used to before Ashura. I think learning that his dad was keeping secrets from him hurt Kidd a lot.”

“Alright, then we’ll tell him. The seven of us make the best team, anyways,” Maka decided. “We’ll tell him after class.”


	4. Chapter 4

To say Maka was nervous would be the understatement of the year. Tsubaki had taken things pretty well, and Black*Star had mostly pouted, but she was still worried about how Kidd would take the news that they’d been hiding things from him, especially given his recent iciness towards his father for doing the same thing. Soul glanced over at her a few times during class, but hadn’t said anything about her mounting anxiety.

A few minutes before the bell was going to ring, Soul reached out and squeezed Maka’s hand, trying to ignore the slight heat in his face. “It’s going to be fine,” he whispered to Maka once he had her attention. “Kidd will understand why we didn’t want to say anything just like Tsubaki did.” He shot her a kind and reassuring smile, and despite her fear, she found herself smiling back at him, and both of them sat there for a few moments.

The ringing of the bell shook them out of their reverie, and Soul shot his hand back to his body as if Maka’s had burned him. They looked away from each other, blushes adorning both of their cheeks. Not noticing the tension, Tsubaki turned towards them with a slightly wavering smile. “Are you two ready?” she asked. Maka nodded once and Soul shrugged. Together, the four of them approached Kidd, Liz and Patty, smiling as if nothing was wrong.

“Oh, hey guys. What’s up?” Liz asked as they approached. 

“There’s something Soul and I have to tell you guys,” Maka said, fidgeting with her hands. “Can we all talk outside?”

Liz and Kidd furrowed their eyebrows, though before they could ask any more questions, Patty cheerfully agreed and skipped out the door, forcing the rest of the group to follow. Once they were outside, Liz confronted them.

“Guys, what’s going on?” she demanded, hand on her hip. Kidd stood beside her, his slight frown indicating he wanted to know as well. 

Maka took a deep breath and began to explain the situation, in full detail rather than the brief overview they’d given Tsubaki and Black*Star, with Soul cutting in every once in a while for clarification or when Maka got too nervous to continue. After she was done, all three of them stood there, mildly shocked.

When none of them spoke for a minute, Maka stepped forward. “Kidd, you can’t tell Lord Death,” she pleaded, desperation in her eyes. “If we tell him, he’ll say it’s too dangerous like he did with the battle for brew, and we want to fight.”

Kidd raised a hand to his temple and sighed. “While I would normally discourage this sort of thing, I believe you may be right. And…” Kidd hesitated slightly before continuing. “I also wish to participate in the fight against Arachne,” he finished, somewhat reluctantly.

Maka’s shoulders slumped with relief. “Good. We’re strongest together; if anyone has a chance, it’s the seven of us.” There was a new strength in her voice that had been missing minutes before. The others nodded their agreement silently.

“So, what are our next steps?” Tsubaki asked. 

“Well, Soul and I had been trying to figure out how it’s all connected, as well as trying to get missions in the area. The problem is that while we know the general area she has to be in, we’ve had a hard time pinpointing the exact location, and every mission we’ve been on has been completely normal,” Maka explained, brows furrowing. 

“Not to mention how hard it’s been to actually make sure our mission goes there,” Soul added. “Lord Death has figured out the area is dangerous, too, and he’s not approving any solo teams.”

“Well then, we’ll apply as a team. Father won’t turn all of us down unless he knows more than we do. And if he does, I’ll confront him directly,” Kidd stated. Maka brightened. 

“Yeah, that’s true. Thanks, guys.” She smiled warmly.

“We’re all in this together.” Tsubaki stepped forward to put her hand on Maka’s shoulder. “We work as a team.”

The next morning, the seven of them gathered in front of the mission board. “So, Maka, which is the right mission?” Black*Star asked impatiently. She looked over the board for a moment, searching, before shooting out a finger to a paper near the top. 

“That one,” she said confidently. “It’s at the edge of the perimeter Soul and I managed to isolate, but it’s the closest one I can find.”

Liz reached up and snatched the paper, scanning it quickly. “Kishin egg inducing mass hysteria and death in and around Bromford Forest.” She grimaced. “Sounds...fun.”

“You don’t think any of our missions are fun, sis. Though I guess this time you could say it’s  _ hysterical _ ” Patty reminded. She snatched the paper from her sister and skipped towards the clerk, ignoring the groans of her friends, putting down all their names on the request form.

“Well, that’s that then.” Maka took a deep breath. “Now all we do is wait.”

After a seemingly endless day of classes, the group gathered in Soul and Maka’s apartment to eat dinner together and hopefully take each others’ minds off of the task ahead of them. Blair weaved in between their legs and caused her usual amount of havoc, eventually getting banished to the living room while Maka and Tsubaki were cooking.

“How long have you and Soul been working on this lead, anyways?” Tsubaki asked Maka as they wove around each other in the small kitchen.

“Ever since Henry and Sarah came back from their mission practically scared to death. Henry was rambling about spiders, and I made the connection to Arachne. Could you pass the salt?” Tsubaki handed the shaker to Maka before turning back to her own dish.

“That long, huh,” she said quietly. Guilt washed over Maka.

“It’s not that we didn’t trust you guys, Tsubaki, it’s just that we didn’t want to say anything until we knew we weren’t wrong.”

“Yeah, but it couldn’t have taken this long to be sure, right?”

“Well, after a certain point, I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up...I got used to it just being Soul and I on the hunt.” 

“Ooooohhh. I get it.” Tsubaki smiled teasingly at Maka, who looked confused for a moment before flushing deeply.

“Not like that!” She smacked her friend’s arm, who just laughed.

“Careful, I’ll spill the soup!” she giggled, before her face turned more serious. “I’m just teasing, though. It’s pretty clear that you like Soul.” Tsubaki put a hand up before Maka could protest. “I’m your best friend, you can’t hide this sort of thing from me.”

“I promise you, Tsubaki, I’m not hiding anything. I just legitimately don’t like Soul that way. He’s my weapon partner. That’s it,” Maka replied softly, removing her meal from the oven. Tsubaki just sighed. 

“You have to admit it to yourself sometime, Maka,” she said gently. “Now, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

The seven of them ate and laughed together, enjoying one last night of near normalcy before facing the challenges ahead of them. Well fed and well rested, they were ready for anything when they arrived at Shibusen the following morning. As soon as they were inside the building, they headed straight to the mission board to see if they’d been approved or not. To the delight and apprehension of all of them, they had. 

“After class is over, we should all pack. We can set out tomorrow morning,” Kidd suggested. Black*Star snorted.

“Who cares about class? I say we go pack now and leave  _ today _ .” He struck a pose, only for Maka to chop him, annoyed.

“We can’t skip class!” Kidd said, appalled. 

“Yeah, I’m all for waiting a day,” Liz agreed.

“I hate to side with Black*Star, but I want to get out there as soon as I can,” Maka chimed in. 

“I’m with Black*Star and Maka on this one. Let’s get going.” Soul stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Maka, hands shoved in his pockets.

“Maybe we  _ should _ wait…” A hesitant note of concern weighed in Tsubaki’s voice. “I don’t want us to rush into anything we’re not prepared for, and it’s only one day.”

“Looks like we’re split,” Maka said grimly. “Patty, you’re the tiebreaker. What do you think?”

Patty thought for a moment. “Let’s pack things up and get the show on the road! Class can wait!” she exclaimed cheerfully with a confident laugh.

Maka brightened. “It’s settled then. We’ll leave in an hour.”


	5. Chapter 5

An hour later, the seven were once more gathered in front of the school, this time laden down with bags. Once they were all there, they climbed into the taxi Maka had called earlier and set off. A short drive later, they were being dropped off at the outskirts of the woods; the driver had heard what was happening and refused to take them any further. They walked the rest of the journey in silence, the reality of what they were about to face slowly hitting each of them. 

“This forest is so boooooooring,” Patty chirped. “It’s all the same. I’m  _ pine _ -ing for something new to look at.” She grinned proudly and waited for the others to realize her pun.

Liz was the first to understand the joke, and groaned. “Patty, that wasn’t even a  _ good _ pun,” she complained as her sister giggled. Maka just shook her head, smiling slightly.

“Yeah, not cool at all,” Soul chuckled.

“Alright, good one Patty!” Black*Star laughed and high fived the younger girl. “I’ll have to remember that one. We can’t just  _ leaf _ the puns at that!”

“Well, we can decidu-ide the best puns as we say them back and forth!  _ Branch _ out and let the others be our judges, y’know?

“Yeah! Though you already know I’m gonna climb up to the top of the pun-opy regardless.”

“Oh please! That’s just you  _ bark _ ing up your ego.”

“It’s the truth!  _ Wood _ I ever lie to you?”

“Black*Star, no more,” Tsubaki chimed in with a snort of laughter. 

Confused, Kidd looked from face to face, unable to understand what was happening. “What? I don’t get it,” he said, pouting slightly. Instantly the whole group burst out into uncontrollable laughter, with Kidd getting more and more agitated at the lack of a response to his question. Eventually, they calmed down enough for Tsubaki to attempt to explain the pun to Kidd, who still didn’t get it, and as they continued searching, the mood was noticeably lighter. 

However, their peace wouldn’t last very long, as their mirth had drawn the attention of something hiding deep within the forest. 

Their enemy was aware of their presence. 

After a full day of searching and finding no clues, it was safe to say the group was feeling dejected. The idea that they would arrive and find everything they needed had implanted itself into their minds, and was being quickly spoiled by reality.

“Hey, we all knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” Maka piped up, sensing the mood of her companions. She prodded at the fire they were sitting around, sending sparks flying. “This is  _ Arachne _ we’re dealing with. She’s smart, and crafty.”

“Actually, according to the villagers, we’re dealing with someone called Morpheus. And from the description the survivors gave Lord Death, it sounds like they’re a weapon,” Tsubaki piped up. Blank stares greeted her statement, and she blinked at them. “Am I the only one who reads the supplemental notes on mission requests?” she asked hesitantly.

“Oh, that. Sorry, I just assumed Morpheus was some sort of minion to Arachne, or that the survivors had the wrong name,” Maka replied, while the others continued staring at Tsubaki blankly.

“There’s supplemental notes on mission requests?” Black*Star asked curiously. Liz and Patty shrugged in response, clearly unaware as well.

“I can handle anything that might be out here, I’m too cool to bother with notes,” Soul bragged. 

Kidd just continued to stare at Tsubaki, wide-eyed. “You mean Father collects that information  _ himself _ ? You don’t have to talk to the locals directly?” he asked, clearly mystified. 

“Yeah...it’s just right on the back of the page…” Tsubaki answered, confused that Kidd had never seen them. Kidd sat back, a stunned look on his face, and Maka couldn’t contain her laughter. The others followed quickly, and for the second time that day they were laughing at Kidd’s disconnect with the world around him, this time with Kidd joining in, although still slightly embarrassed. 

Feeling better, the seven decided to call it a night and resume the search in the morning, with Maka, Kidd and Tsubaki staying up later than the rest to plot out a strategy for maximizing their efficiency in searching the forest. Soon enough, however, the three of them were asleep as well, and the camp fell silent as the fire died out. 

In the late hours of the night, when all seven of them were sound asleep, an unseen force slowly crept into the camp. It slithered over each sleeping form, coiling around them like a thick fog. Each student shivered as the force ran over their faces, and tendrils of the dark mass slipped into their minds. Each would discover come morning that their dreams had turned dark in the night, and after canvassing each sleeping figure, the force retreated back to its hideout in the heart of the forest.

As dawn broke and the friends woke from their sleep, they found themselves restless and moody. None had slept well after their visitor had left, and all had sour thoughts on their minds. Not even Patty was smiling as they set out that morning. 

As they made their way through the forest, Soul and Liz fell behind the rest of the group. After a few minutes of hesitation, Liz spoke. “Hey, Soul, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Why haven’t you asked out Maka yet?” Liz fidgeted with her hands as she spoke, aware she was addressing a touchy topic. Soul almost tripped over his feet in surprise.

“What do you mean?” he asked, trying to cover his surprise. Liz rolled her eyes.

“Don’t give me that, I know you like her. I’m pretty sure  _ everyone _ knows,” Liz said matter-of-factly. Soul’s face flushed a deep red, and he mumbled something about it not being like that. Liz snorted. 

“Oh yes it  _ is _ like that. Come on, how long are you going to string that poor girl along before you get the guts to end this idiotic game of the two of you dancing around each other?” She tossed her hair and strode forward, leaving Soul stunned and alone with his thoughts.

Suddenly, the trees above them shifted, blocking out the sun, and their path grew dark. Wind shot through the trees and laughter echoed around them as they all tensed for battle. Maka called for Soul, and in an instant he was in her hands in scythe form. Tsubaki was in her default battle mode in a heartbeat, and Liz and Patty weren’t far behind. Birds and small woodland creatures streamed towards them, fleeing from some unknown adversary facing the students. 

_ This is it _ , Maka thought, heart racing. “Show yourself!” she shouted into the trees. Just as quickly as it had started, the howling wind and mocking laughter fell away, leaving their ears ringing with the force of the silence. The path ahead of them slowly opened back up, as if beckoning them forward. Cautiously, they stepped through the trees, noting with apprehension the way they knit themselves back together behind the seven of them, leaves whispering untold secrets; or were they warnings?

A few steps along the path, without warning, the trees suddenly shot forward, wrapping individual cocoons around each of the students. Maka felt Soul ripped from her hands, the trees beating her backwards as she yelled for him and tried to follow. The trees whipped around her more fiercely, and she felt the air being ripped from her lungs. She collapsed, her world slowly turning black.


	6. Chapter 6

Maka awoke to a familiar, yet confusing, environment. She was back at Shibusen. Surrounded by unfamiliar classmates, she stood facing Lord Death, who was curiously at eye level to her. She staggered backwards in shock when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was much older, at least mid-twenties, and still dressed in her Shibusen uniform, though it was clearly ill-fitting. Lord Death spoke, his tone disappointed. 

“Maka, you’ve been a student here at Shibusen for almost 15 years, and you still haven’t made Soul a Death Scythe. I’m sorry to say, but if you can’t fulfill this last mission, I’m going to have to expel you and Soul. I can’t keep wasting resources on a meister who will never unlock the true potential of her weapon,” he told her. Maka’s heart pounded, and every word was like a needle to her heart. Her desperation grew as an older Soul stepped forward, a look of disgust in his eyes.

“C’mon, Maka. I’ve been waiting for you to get your act together for 15 years now. I ain’t getting expelled because you don’t have it in you,” he said, before turning away. Palms sweating and head spinning, Maka spun around as she heard a voice she hadn’t heard in a long time.

“Honey, I know you’ve tried, but it’s time to give it up. You don’t have what it takes to make Soul into a Death Scythe. I guess you didn’t inherit my skill after all.” Her mother’s words rung in Maka’s ears, and she collapsed to the ground, shaking. Maka had molded her entire life off of her mother’s. She had put all of her pain, hopes, and dreams into her goal. Everything she was relied on the approval and recognition she craved, recognition that was now being denied to her forever. As a final blow, she heard her father’s footsteps approaching.

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Papa, please…” she whispered, desperate for the faith he’d always shown in her, desperate to believe she wasn’t a failure. But Spirit only shook his head and sighed. 

“As much as I don’t like Evans, it’s a shame he’ll never get to taste a witch’s soul.”

As her father walked away from her and her strange classmates jeered, tears streamed down Maka’s face as she openly wept. She wasn’t good enough.

She had failed. 


	7. Chapter 7

After he had been torn away from Maka’s grip, Soul transformed back into human form, and, like Maka, was quickly overwhelmed by the trees whipping about his face. As he began to wake up from his unwilling slumber, he found himself sitting at a piano bench. Confused, he looked down at himself, discovering he was dressed in a tuxedo. Murmuring caught his attention, and he looked up to find he was on stage, with dozens of people sitting in the audience, waiting for him to play. 

He pulled away from the keys, looking around for his meister. The whispers in the crowd grew louder, and despite himself, Soul flushed. His face grew hotter as he picked out a few of the whispers. 

“What’s he doing?”

“Do you think it’s stage fright?”

“Poor kid. So much to live up to.”

“This didn’t happen to Wes when he had  _ his _ first performance.”

“Piano is so much easier than violin, too.”

“Come on now, give him a chance.”

At the last comments, Soul’s anger and embarrassment grew. Forgetting about Maka, he sat back down at the bench heavily, glaring at the instrument before him. Hands poised above the keys, he readied himself to play. Taking a deep breath, Soul glanced up at the sheet music, and froze once more. It was completely blank. He flipped through a few pages, searching for notes, his heart racing and breath growing short. 

The whispers grew as his panic mounted. He couldn’t think, couldn’t  _ breathe _ , didn’t know what to do. Fingers trembling, he tried improvising something he  _ knew _ he could play. Each key he hit sounded more discordant than the last, and the whispered turned from confused to condemning. 

No one believed he could do it. And they were right. 


	8. Chapter 8

As soon as Liz felt herself ripped from Kidd, she transformed back into her human form and began searching the abandoned city street she now found herself on for her little sister. With each second she grew more and more frantic, until finally Patty emerged into her vision from a nearby alley. Liz sighed, her shoulders dropping and tension flowing out of her neck. She raced towards the shorter girl.

“Patty, thank god I found you!” Liz threw her arms around Patty and squeezed, before looking up. “Where are we? Have you seen Kidd?” Patty’s eyes reflected the same confusion and fear her own eyes held as she shrugged and shook her head. Liz paused to take a deep breath before grabbing her sister’s hand, and together they began walking.

After a few minutes, they approached a populated coffee shop. Liz stepped forward, intending to ask the patrons what was going on, but as soon as she spoke, gentle conversation and laughed turned to fearful silence, and within seconds, everyone had disappeared into nearby buildings. Liz frowned, confused. She and Patty walked into the coffee shop and found the owner cowering behind the counter.

“Please, don’t hurt me. Here, it’s yours,” the man stuttered, opening the cash drawer and shoving the bills in their direction. Liz’s frown deepened.

“What are you talking about? We don’t want your money,” she replied, confused. The shop owner flinched. Liz let out a huff of air, exasperated. “Look, we’re just looking for our friend. Short, black hair, three white stripes on one side but not the other. Have you seen him?” 

“No, no one like that has come through. I’m sorry!” he flinched again, as if expecting them to hit him for not having the answer they wanted. Liz was uncomfortable with how familiar the whole thing was.

“Alright...then what about this one. Who do you think the two of us are?” 

“You...you’re the Thompson Sisters. You rule the streets, and anyone who gets in your way either changes their mind or isn’t seen again.”

Liz’s whole body tensed with horror, and she felt her sister’s do the same. “That...that isn’t our life anymore,” she stammered out.

“We’re shibusen students now! We fight evil!” Patty said with a hint of desperation in her voice. The owner of the coffee shop just shook his head before dropping the bills from the till at their feet and scuttling to the back to hide. 

“No...no, this can’t be happening!” Liz shouted to the air. She ran out of the store, noticing a public bulletin board a few doors down. Spotting her own face, she paused to read the poster, and the full force of the nightmare she was in crashed down on her. 

The sign read “WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE. THE THOMPSON SISTERS, GANGSTERS TERRORIZING THE STREETS OF DEATH CITY. WARNING: SUSPECTS CONSIDERED HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND WILLING TO KILL. APPROACH WITH CAUTION.”

Liz fell to her knees. No matter how she tried, it seemed she and Patty simply couldn’t escape the past that haunted them.


	9. Chapter 9

Following the loss of his weapons, Kidd strangely found himself back at Shibusen. He was in the Death Room, facing his father.  _ Did father summon us home somehow? But where are the others? _ Kidd thought to himself, glancing around the room for his friends. He opened his mouth to ask his father what exactly was going on, but before he could say anything, Lord Death spoke.

“Kidd? What are you doing here?” He asked in his usual bright voice.

“I’m not sure…” Kidd trailed off hesitantly. Lord Death thought for a moment, then shrugged.

“I suppose there’s no reason for you not to be here for this. I assumed you’d be off sulking, though.”

“What? Why would I be sulking?” Kidd asked, baffled.

“Well, because you’re being replaced, silly!” Lord Death laughed. “You’ve been failing at almost every mission I send you out on, so I decided it was time to make another son. Third times the charm, right?” Kidd felt the blood drain from his face.

“W...what?” He stammered out. “We’ve had successful missions! We’ll stop Arachne and Ashura, Father, I swear it,” Kidd pleaded desperately. 

Lord Death just shook his head. “No, Kidd. The last successful mission you had was before Medusa. And that’s the other thing. I can see the insanity starting to creep into you as well. How long is it going to be before you start murdering everything that isn’t symmetrical? Hmm?” 

Kidd’s father turned his back on his son and back towards his mirror, ignoring all of Kidd’s further protests. Kidd felt his knees buckle and he fell to the floor. He could hear his father creating the new son, but couldn’t bring himself to look. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Lord Death finally spoke again. “Kidd, look at your brother,” he said softly, with a slight edge. Kidd didn’t want to. He just wanted to curl up and pretend none of this was happening, that he wasn’t a failure. But he forced his head up anyways and looked at the child in his father’s arms. His eyes met the babies eyes; eyes that were set into a perfectly symmetrical face, atop a perfectly symmetrical body. Kidd could feel power exuding from the child’s soul, despite his young age.

The child was perfect. In every sense. In every way that Kidd was not.


	10. Chapter 10

As soon as she left Black*Star’s grip, Tsubaki, tumbling through the air towards the forest ground, transformed back into human form. She caught herself on her hands and knees, and was puzzled to find them partially submerged in water. Looking around, she found herself in the demon sword realm. “Black*Star? Black*Star!” she called for her partner, to no avail. Instead, a horrifyingly familiar voice spoke from behind her.

“Hello, sister,” Tsubaki stiffened.

“Masamune,” she said, teeth gritted. She shifted into a battle stance. “I don’t know how or why you’re here, but you better not make me fight you again.”

Masamune smirked. “You wouldn’t be able to beat me if I did. You have no idea how to wield the power you were born with. You falter and hesitate at every step. You slow down everyone around you,” he hissed. Tsubaki fell backwards a step.

“That’s not true!” she protested, voice trembling. Her brother barked out a harsh laugh.

“Oh isn’t it? Tell me, little sister, how long have you had the demon sword? It’s been months. Yet you still can’t use it for more than a few moments. It’s pathetic,” he stepped forward, and Tsubaki, unable to stand her ground, stepped back with him. “Maybe I should just take it!” he lunged forward on the last word, swinging his fist into Tsubaki’s stomach. She fell to the ground, gasping. As he continued to assault her, she began to see and hear other familiar voices.

“C’mon Tsu. How am I supposed to beat god with you like this?”

“Tsubaki, you’re going to fail out of the academy if you don’t start improving. I don’t want to lose my best friend.”

“Tsubaki, this is  _ so _ not cool.”

“I expected better from such a symmetrical weapon.”

“Maybe if I dissect you I can discover exactly why you can’t measure up.”

Tears streamed down Tsubaki’s face as she curled herself into a ball, not even bothering to defend herself from her brother’s assault any longer. 

What did it matter? 


	11. Chapter 11

Black*Star felt his wrist sting, Tsubaki’s chain whipping against his flesh as she was torn from his grasp. Hissing, he looked down, finding a large welt beginning to form. He cursed under his breath, and was greeted with a scared whimper. Surprised, he looked up, noticing for the first time that he was no longer in the forest. Surrounding him was a small village that looked as though it had just been ransacked, and a terrified farmer kneeling at his feet. 

“P-please Black*Star...don’t k-kill me...I have a family…” Black*Star realized with icy shock that the farmer was pleading with  _ him _ to spare his life. 

“Don’t be stupid. Why would I kill you?” he asked, falling just shy of his usual bravado.

The farmer blinked, confused, before scampering away as quickly as he could. Black*Star shrugged and decided the man was simply crazy and walked towards the town center, intending to find some answers.

However, the farther he went into the town, the more concerned he became. Every person he encountered was terrified, running away as soon as he was in sight. He could no longer dismiss this as one or two crazy villagers, and he began to worry some huge misunderstanding had occurred. Frustrated, he kicked a rock, hard, wincing when his toe began throbbing moments later.

_ I need to find Tsubaki and the others, _ seconds after the thought, Black*Star spotted Soul’s spiked hair. “Yo! Soul!” he called out cheerfully. Soul whipped around, and as Black*Star turned the rest of the corner, he could see the rest of his friends as well. But something was wrong. They were tense, and angry. Kidd was wielding Liz and Patty, Tsubaki was in weapon form in Maka’s hands, and Black*Star could tell Soul was about to transform as well. 

Thinking there must be some enemy nearby, he rushed towards the group, calling out for Maka to toss Tsubaki to him, his hands outstretched to receive her. But as he approached, Soul now in Maka’s other hand, his team closed ranks against him, in battle positions. “Black*Star!” Kidd called out, hostility clear in his voice. “You’ve gone too far this time!”

“Killing all those innocent people...Black*Star how could you?” Tsubaki’s pained voice sounded from within her weapon form. 

“What are you guys talking about?” Black*Star demanded, slowing his charge.

“Don’t play dumb!” Soul yelled. “You attacked this entire village, just because the innkeeper wouldn’t give us a room.”

“And the way you tried to hurt Tsubaki when she refused to help you...I can’t ever forgive you for that!” Maka shouted, her eyes tearing up a bit. Looking closer at Tsubaki’s blade and her reflection within it, Black*Star could see blood trickling down the side of her face. 

Shocked and unable to comprehend the horror he was faced with, the horror of his own actions, actions he could no longer deny as his, he didn’t even try to defend himself when Maka swung Soul and Tsubaki down upon him from both directions.


	12. Chapter 12

Black*Star jolted upwards, shouting wordlessly. He frantically patted down his body, ensuring that he was unscathed. He sorted through his recent memories, trying to figure out what had happened; the crushing realization that he’d turned into a monster muted by his own confusion. He was still in the same village, and the same man was kneeling a few feet away, pleading for his life as if reading off a script. 

_ Is this hell? Do I just have to repeat the same moment over and over forever? _ He wondered with despair. He could faintly hear his friends in the village square, and he raised his arm to furiously wipe at a tear that threatened to fall. But as his arm made contact with his face, he let out a soft hiss. Looking down, he realized the welt from Tsubaki’s chain was still there, and had gotten redder. He stomped experimentally, and discovered his toe no longer hurt.

_ But if all my other injuries went away, why did the welt stay? _ Black*Star wracked his mind, trying to connect the dots.  _ I wish Maka were here, _ he thought grumpily.  _ She’d be able to figure this out in a heartbeat. _ He wondered where she had ended up after they got separated. And while his mind was fixated on that moment, it made a connection. The welt had happened during the chaos in the forest. It had shown up  _ before _ he’d found himself in this village.  _ So if injuries I got outside of the village are still here, but injuries I got inside the village go away, that must mean… _ ”this isn’t real!” he shouted the last half of his thought, fueled by the excitement of his discovery.

“Now I just have to figure out how to get out of here,” Black*Star mumbled to himself. Stuck in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the figures of his friends approaching until Soul called out. “Not now, I’m busy!” the blue haired teen shouted, annoyed at the interruption from people who weren’t even real. 

Soul stopped short and blinked twice. He turned to Maka, who called out to Black*Star as well, shouting something inflammatory. Black*Star turned, now seriously ticked off, and punched the apparition in the face. His fist went right through Maka’s face, and his surroundings dissolved. “Well that was easy!” he laughed, finding himself back in the forest, sitting in the dirt. His friends were crumpled on the ground, expressions of despair and agony on their faces. 

He turned to Tsubaki, who was next to him, and began shouting at her to wake up. When she didn’t respond, he grabbed her shoulder, intending to shake her until she roused, only to suddenly find himself in her demon sword mode. To his shock, Masamune was there as well, and to his even greater shock, Tsubaki was curled into the fetal position, crying and letting him attack her. Black*Star let out a battle cry and charged the taller man, throwing him off of Tsubaki. As had happened with Maka, Masamune promptly dissolved.

Black*Star turned to the traumatized Tsubaki, still crying and in a ball, and touched her shoulder gently. “Hey. Tsubaki. You’ve gotta get up.”

“I’m...not strong enough…” she sobbed out softly. 

“What are you talking about?”

“Holding...you all back…” 

Black*Star let out a snort. “Tsubaki, what on earth made you think that? You’re just as strong as any one of us.” Tsubaki wiped at her face, and Black*Star could see she was still unsure. “Would I pick anyone less than the best to be my partner?” he puffed his chest out, and Tsubaki let out a soft giggle. The sound seemed to echo around them, tinkling in the air like a bell. Instead of fading, it grew stronger, and eventually, the scene around them shattered with the force of it and they were back in the forest.

Tsubaki looked around in wonder. “What  _ happened _ ?” she asked, eyes wide. Black*Star just shrugged.

“I dunno. Something psychic maybe? I think it has to do with our fears,” he explained. Tsubaki sat back against a tree, slightly dazed.

“We have to get the others out,” she decided after a few moments. “How did you get into my dream?” 

“I just kind of grabbed your shoulder.”

“Alright.” Tsubaki stepped hesitantly towards where Liz lay hugging Patty to her chest tightly and hesitantly laid her hand on the blonde’s shoulder. Instantly Tsubaki found herself outside of a coffee shop in the middle of a random city. She looked around, searching for the sisters, before finding them slumped against a wall.

Tsubaki ran over to them, concerned with the dread and acceptance in their eyes. Liz glanced up when Tsubaki neared them, and a jolt of panic shot through her eyes. “Tsubaki, you have to get away from us,” she whispered urgently.

“Why?” Tsubaki demanded at full volume. 

“Because we’re dangerous,” Patty spoke quietly, her head still down. “We’re criminals and we always will be.” a soft sob escaped her lips.

Tsubaki kneeled down until she was at eye level with Patty and forced the younger girl to look her in the eyes before saying firmly “You. Are. Not. Your. Past.” she turned to Liz. “Same goes for you. What you did before doesn’t affect what you do now. There’s always a chance to become someone better, and no one can take that away.” Tsubaki could see something starting to light behind Liz’s eyes, and she reached forward to capture her in a hug. “We  _ care _ about the two of you, all of us, and no matter what happens, none of us will ever let anything happen to you.”

Liz stood up with a newfound confidence. She turned to the wanted poster behind them, ripping it off the wall and shredding it. As she did, the city that surrounded them seemed to shred away as well, and Tsubaki and the sisters could see the forest again. Black*Star waved cheerfully from where he was standing guard.

“There’s not time to explain everything,” Tsubaki started before either of them had a chance to open their mouths. “There’s something psychic happening, and we need to break Kidd free,” Tsubaki said. Patty nodded and stepped forward.

“I’ll do it, I know him the best. What do I have to do?”

“Just touch his shoulder and you’ll see what he’s dreaming of.”

Patty moved towards the shinigami and took a deep breath before laying her hand on his shoulder. Instantly she was back in Death City, in Lord Death’s room. Kidd was curled in the corner and there was a crowd of their friends, classmates, and teachers crowding around something Lord Death was holding...a baby? Confused, Patty turned towards Kidd.

“Hey, Kidd, what’s going on?” she asked. Kidd didn’t even register her voice. Patty stepped forward and shook his shoulder. “Kiiiiiddddddddd, I said what’s going  _ on _ ?” Kidd jerked backwards out of her grip, but finally acknowledged her presence. 

“The baby...perfect…” he mumbled.

“What?”

“Brother...symmetrical…” Patty sighed.

“We don’t have time for this.  _ Get your ass moving now, damn you. _ ” she spoke the familiar threatening words, and Kidd, tears still in his eyes, jumped to attention. As he did so, Lord Death’s room seemed to bleed away, and a moment later, the pair were in the forest again, with Kidd grumbling about “cruel methodology”.

“Right. Now Soul,” Tsubaki said, leaning over the last two members of their party still unconscious. Liz stepped forward. 

“I got this one,” she said confidently, striding forward and grabbing Soul’s shoulder. She found herself beside him on stage, his head in his hands and the crowd booing. She flipped them off and turned to her friend.

“Right I think I can guess what this one is about. Soul, you know that none of us cares if you’re better or worse than anyone else, right? We care about  _ you _ . And honestly, you’re one of the best musicians I’ve ever heard,” Liz told the white haired boy. She sighed when she realized it was going to take more to get him to believe it.  _ Sorry, Maka. _

Liz pulled out her phone and scrolled a bit until she found a video Maka had sent her, after swearing her to secrecy. “You don’t believe me, believe Maka,” she said, and pressed play. The room filled with the sound of Soul playing the piano beautifully, with Maka whispering softly to avoid detection. The video played for a minute or two, with Maka gushing the entire time over how amazing Soul was. The longer the video played, the lighter Soul’s expression became and the redder his cheeks got. As the video ended, the concert hall exploded and revealed the forest.

Leaving Tsubaki to explain things to Soul, Liz stepped towards Maka, confident she could pull the meister out the same way she had pulled Soul out. But when Liz touched Maka’s shoulder, nothing happened.


	13. Chapter 13

Liz frowned, touching Maka’s shoulder again, and shaking it for good measure. But still nothing happened. “Hey guys, I can’t get into Maka’s dream!” she yelled, panic creeping into her voice. 

“No way. Let me try,” Tsubaki stepped up and touched Maka’s arm. Nothing. Black*Star shoved his way to the front and grabbed both of Maka’s shoulders, shaking vigorously. Still nothing. Soul pushed him aside.

“Black*Star, stop, she’s not a ragdoll!” Soul grabbed Maka away from Black*Star’s grasp, and found himself at Shibusen. Confused, he staggered a step and almost tripped over Maka, curled into a ball on the ground. Instantly he was kneeling by her side, shaking her softly to get her attention.

Slowly she unfurled just enough to look at Soul’s face. She gazed at him desperately, eyes puffy from the force of her tears. “Soul...I...I’m sorry…”

“What are you sorry for?” Soul asked, confused.

“I couldn’t do it...because of me you’ll never be a death scythe. I screw everything up,” Maka’s voice dissolved back into sobs, and Soul felt his heart breaking at the sight. Not thinking, he crushed Maka against his chest. 

“Stop it, okay? Stop saying those things. You  _ know _ they’re not true. We’re gonna make it. You and I can  _ do _ this. We’re gonna find Arachne, and you know what?” Soul craned Maka’s face up towards his own and smiled at her. “That witch’s soul is going to be  _ delicious _ .”

Maka had stopped crying by now, but still looked downtrodden. “I bet it  _ would _ be delicious, if you ever got to eat it. But because I’m not good enough, you won’t get to. We’ll fail because of me. I’m the weakest link. I’ll never live up to Mama.” Soul barked out a laugh.

“First of all, you’ve  _ already _ surpassed your mom by participating in some of the biggest battles of this century and kicking butt, by unlocking genie hunter, by having insane soul perception, and a thousand different other ways. And second of all, I don’t  _ care _ if you better worse or the same as  _ anyone _ else. I care about you.” he spoke the last part softly, not intending for Maka to hear.

But she did hear, and at those words, her face fell again. She mumbled something that Soul could only make out the end of. “...not real”

“What was that?” Soul asked, straining to understand what she was saying.

“You’re not real,” Maka spoke, louder this time. “You’re just another part of the illusion.” Soul was thrown off, and it took him a moment to figure out how to respond.

“Maka, why do you not think I’m real?”

Maka flushed slightly, but met Soul’s gaze head on. “Because the real Soul is cool and aloof, and doesn’t talk about his feelings. The real Soul is casual and doesn’t give hugs,” Maka paused for a moment before speaking again, softer this time, her voice now containing an edge of pain. “Because the real Soul only sees me as a friend.”

Soul blinked hard, as the realization that Maka felt the same way about him as he did about her washed over his mind, tempered by the heart crushing fact that she thought he was another part of her torture; being faced with the care and affection of someone you love who doesn’t love you. Resolve hardened in his face.

“You’re right about one thing; I’m not good with talking about my emotions. So how about I  _ show _ you instead?” before Maka had a chance to respond, Soul took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips against hers. They were soft and warm, and Soul wrapped his arms around her waist to bring her closer to him. After a moment of shock, Maka hesitantly began to sink into the kiss, moving her lips against Soul’s and weaving her fingers into his hair. The world around them disappeared, and nothing existed except each other. 

That is, until they were interrupted by Black*Star whooping and Tsubaki desperately trying to shush him, whisper-yelling “Let them enjoy their moment!” Maka pulled away, blushing, and rested her forehead against Soul’s. He opened his eyes and grinned at her cheekily. 

“Still think I’m not real?” he asked, and she smacked his arm lightly, laughing. 

“Oh shush.”


	14. Chapter 14

“I hate to interrupt you two, but we really should track down whoever attacked us,” Liz piped up from a few feet away. Maka’s expression sobered, and she untangled her limbs from Soul’s and stood up.

“You’re right. They can’t be far. Although I understand why they’re calling themselves ‘Morpheus’...” Maka trailed off grumpily. “Somehow, they accessed our fears and built illusions around them. If we hadn’t had each other, I’m guessing we would’ve been stuck in them until we went crazy, just like Henry and Sarah.”

“Oh my god, you’re right,” Tsubaki said, realization dawning across her features. “Shit, this doesn’t have anything to do with Arachne then; it wasn’t that she trapped Henry and Sarah and tormented them with spiders because that’s her thing, it’s that Henry is claustrophobic and Sarah hates spiders.” she groaned. “We’ve been chasing a dead end.”

“Not exactly,” Maka said, an edge entering her voice. “It might not have to do with Arachne, but someone is still attacking people in this forest; someone attacked our  _ friends _ here, and that someone attacked us, and that someone still needs to be stopped.” she glanced at each of her friends in turn. “We started this. Now we need to finish it.”

Before anyone could respond, a low chuckle sounded from the bushes. “How did I know you were going to say something like that, Maka?” she couldn’t place it, but the voice sounded hauntingly familiar. Instantly Soul was in scythe form and in Maka’s arms as she settled into a battle stance.

But nothing could prepare her for the sight that greeted her when the bushes parted and the figure came into the light. She nearly dropped Soul in her shock, only just barely managing to keep a hold of him as she stuttered out a name. “J...Jordan?”

“In the flesh,” Jordan’s voice was distorted somehow, warped by the insanity that Maka could see flitting across his face. He let out a deranged laugh and she winced. “What’s the matter, Maka?  _ Scared _ ?” he mocked. Maka’s face flushed in anger and she brandished Soul towards Jordan. Anger flared in his eyes at the sight of the weapon.

“What happened to you?” Liz asked softly, almost afraid to speak too loudly and disturb the stillness that had settled around them.

“What happened? What  _ happened _ , is I was abandoned! During the battle at Shibusen, everyone left me behind. I was alone. And then  _ he _ showed up. Went right past me on his way out of the city. Just two seconds near him was enough to show me everything that was wrong with that damn school. To show me that I could have everything I ever wanted if I just went a little.  _ Crazy _ .” Jordan laughed again, a wild, deranged sound that sent a shiver down all of their backs. 

Tsubaki took a step forward. “Jordan, this isn’t you. It’s Ashura’s insanity wavelength. Come back to Shibusen–”

“NO!” Jordan roared unexpectedly, causing them all to flinch back. “I’M NEVER GOING BACK! At Shibusen, I was nothing. A nobody. But out here? If I just give a  _ little _ bit of my sanity up? I can be  _ everything _ . I can  _ have _ everything.” Jordan’s grin turned predatory and he turned towards Maka once more. “I can have every _ one _ I want.”

Jordan raised his arm and tendrils of black shot towards Maka, jerking Soul out of her grip and wrapping themselves around her waist. With a second motion of his hand, Maka was dragged to Jordan’s side. He drew his hand down her cheek while she squirmed, unable to escape. “Maka...join me. It’s not so bad when you get used to it. If we work together, we can take down anyone that comes after us. I  _ know _ our wavelengths would work together, and I’m both a weapon  _ and  _ meister.”

Soul, who had detransformed, lunged forward, and Tsubaki and Black*Star had to hold him back. “YOU GET AWAY FROM HER!” he yelled furiously. Jordan laughed.

“Oh please. You couldn’t do anything to me if you wanted to. You’re  _ weak _ . Maka pulled all the weight in your partnership. I can actually do her justice!”Jordan sneered. He turned back towards his captive. “So, my sweet? What do you say?”

Maka took a deep breath, gathering all of her emotions into her core, then spat directly in Jordan’s face. “THAT’S WHAT I SAY YOU LITTLE CREEP!” she screamed, thrashing vigorously to escape. Jordan’s face grew red with rage and Soul snorted.

“Let’s see how you feel after a few more hours in your fearscape!” he exclaimed, then closed his eyes. The shadows around them thickened, but nothing else happened. His eyes opened and shock canvassed his features. “What...how...it’s not possible!”

“Oh, those old fears? Thanks to you, we were able to get past them,” Kidd said, a hint of smugness in his tone.

“NO! You got out because you cheated! None of you were supposed to be able to enter each other’s visions. YOU CHEATED!”

“Just because we didn’t do it alone doesn’t mean we ‘cheated’ or didn’t do it after all. Sure, we needed a little help. But everyone does. That’s what friends are for. They may reach out a hand to lift us up, but  _ we’re _ the ones who take that hand and  _ pull _ .” Maka said, almost breathlessly as she continued to strain against her bonds. 

Jordan shook his head. “No...that’s not...this can’t...THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!” he started to panic, fists balled into his hair, shadow arms whipping around randomly. Soul took the opportunity to lunge forward and plunge the blade his arm had turned into straight into Jordan’s chest. He pushed viciously and watched with some satisfaction as Jordan choked on his own blood. 

As soon as the bonds disappeared, Maka collapsed into Soul’s arms, clutching his shirt. He held onto her just as tightly, smoothing her hair down with his hand. The gang sat in the clearing for some time before deciding to head back to Shibusen and begin the lengthy process of explaining themselves. 


	15. Chapter 15

On the way back to the academy, Soul managed to get Maka alone a few steps behind the main group. “So uh. That kiss…” he started awkwardly, not knowing how to start the conversation. Maka flushed bright red and mumbled out an affirmation. “Does this mean...you and I?” Soul trailed off again, unable to finish the thought.

“I...I mean if you want to?” Maka replied shyly, rubbing the back of her neck. Soul smiled and pink tinged his face.

“I do! Want to, I mean,” he ducked his face behind his pack, mentally scolding himself.  _ That was NOT cool, Soul! Not cool at ALL. _ His inner monologue was interrupted by the sound of Maka giggling. Soul decided he wanted to hear that sound forever. Feeling a new burst of confidence, he swung his arm over Maka’s shoulder, grinning, and spoke loud enough for the whole group to hear “Of course a  _ cool _ dude like me would be the first to get a girlfriend!” 

The sound of easy laughter among friends filled the forest, and would continue to do so for the remainder of the trip home as the gang settled into comfortable routines.

Upon arriving back at Shibusen, the group went straight to Lord Death’s room. Luckily, he was there, and they didn’t have to search for him or locate any other teachers. Kidd took the lead following a short unspoken conversation between them. “Father, we have some...news...from our mission,” he said tentatively. They’d agreed to tell Lord Death the  _ entire _ story, including their initial reason for departing, and no one was sure how well it would go over.

“A few weeks ago, when Henry and Sarah came back to the academy terrified, I overheard that they’d been ranting about spiders,” Maka began.

“She came to me about it, and we thought that Arachne was making trouble, so we started investigating,” Soul continued.

“They didn’t want to raise the alarm until they were sure, so they didn’t tell anyone until they had a solid lead, which is when they told the rest of us,” Tsubaki piped up, defending their decision to be secretive. 

“We decided not to tell you, Father, because none of us wanted to be sidelined in this fight,” Kidd gave his father a hard look as he spoke, a look that seemed to say “we’re telling you this because we  _ want _ to, not because we  _ have _ to, and you better not do anything about it”.

“Maka used the data from all the missions coming back traumatized to find an attack radius, and we found a job that was in the right area,” Liz picked up the tale.

“Then we cut class to get a head start!” Patty chimed in cheerfully, and the others winced slightly. They hadn’t planned on telling Lord Death that part.

“When we got there, we were attacked. But not by Arachne,” Black*Star said, uncharacteristically somber. “This guy used our fears against us. We had to rely on each other to break free.”

“But the enemy...this ‘Morpheus’...it was Jordan,” Maka said softly. Lord Death, who had been listening patiently so far, made a surprised sound. 

“But Jordan was a casualty of the battle, not to mention a meister, not a weapon,” Lord Death protested. 

“Yeah, that’s what we thought too. But apparently he had a weapon gene, as well and just didn’t realize it. He unlocked it I guess when he was exposed to Ashura’s insanity wavelength, and something inside him broke. He left the city willingly,” Tsubaki explained.

“I see...he  _ was _ always a little...unstable...but I had hoped his time here at Shibusen would have helped things a little. It’s a shame. Were you able to save him?” Lord Death inquired. Soul scratched the back of his head sheepishly and was about to admit to his hasty takedown when Maka spoke.

“He attacked us, and we weren’t able to subdue him. He forced us to kill him,” she said firmly, shooting a glance at Soul and grabbing his hand reassuringly. After everything they’d gone through, she didn’t want Soul to get in trouble for trying to defend her. 

“Hmmm. I suppose we can’t save everyone. Good work, Maka, and the rest of you. I imagine this was not an easy battle. And seeing as you’re clearly willing to hide things in order to stay in this fight, I think it would be wiser, and safer, if you were to be kept in the loop. However, this is not an open invitation to fight in every battle. I’ll still be the final judge of that,” Lord Death decided, and the group left the death room happy. 

“So...who’s up for a game of basketball?”


End file.
